U.S. patent application number 12/352815 was filed with the patent office on 2009-05-14 for apparatus for improving efficiency and emissions of combustion.
Invention is credited to David M. Clack.
Application Number | 20090120415 12/352815 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40668660 |
Filed Date | 2009-05-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090120415 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Clack; David M. |
May 14, 2009 |
APPARATUS FOR IMPROVING EFFICIENCY AND EMISSIONS OF COMBUSTION
Abstract
An apparatus improves the efficiency and emissions of a
combustion process by producing sufficient amounts of ozone in the
air flow to the combustion chamber to enable more complete and
cleaner combustion of the fuel. A plurality of ozone elements for
producing ozone are disposed within a housing that is placed in the
air intake to a combustion chamber such as a diesel engine. The
ozone elements are bonded together in a cross-shaped pattern inside
the housing. The apparatus includes one or more vortex scrubbers or
vanes in the housing to cause the air flow to have a vortex action
to increase the amount of ozone that flows into the combustion
chamber. The vortex scrubbers comprise multiple double fins that
are attached inside the housing. The vortex scrubbers include holes
and/or serrated edges to increase the disturbance of the air flow
over the ozone elements to increase ozone production. The mass of
the ozone elements have a preferred ratio.
Inventors: |
Clack; David M.; (Quenomo,
KS) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MARTIN & ASSOCIATES, LLC
P O BOX 548
CARTHAGE
MO
64836-0548
US
|
Family ID: |
40668660 |
Appl. No.: |
12/352815 |
Filed: |
January 13, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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11972801 |
Jan 11, 2008 |
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12352815 |
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11182546 |
Jul 15, 2005 |
7341049 |
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11972801 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
123/537 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F02M 27/02 20130101;
F02M 25/12 20130101; Y02T 10/121 20130101; Y02T 10/12 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
123/537 |
International
Class: |
F02M 27/04 20060101
F02M027/04 |
Claims
1. An apparatus for increasing the efficiency of combustion
comprising: a housing adapted to be disposed between an air intake
and a combustion chamber to supply air to the combustion chamber; a
plurality of ozone elements arranged in the housing for creating
ozone; and a vortex scrubber in the housing to produce a vortex
motion of air moving through the housing, the vortex scrubber
comprising a plurality of fins with a pattern of holes.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the fins of the vortex scrubber
comprises a plurality of double fins that are formed of a flexible
sheet material bent into a "V" shape with a bend between two fin
portions, where the bend gives an offset to the two fin portions to
form a propeller shape to the double fins.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the plurality of double fins
are attached to a ring placed inside the housing, where the
plurality of double fins are attached to the ring such that a
bottom of the "V" shape is near a center of the ring.
4. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising a serrated edge on
at least a portion of the plurality of double fins.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the combustion chamber is the
cylinder of a diesel combustion engine.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of ozone elements
comprise an inner electrode and an outer electrode and a mass ratio
of an inner electrode and an outer electrode is about 0.25.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of ozone elements
comprise a plurality of inner electrodes and a plurality of outer
electrodes and a mass ratio from a mass of all components of the
inner electrodes divided by a mass of all components making up the
outer electrodes is about 0.23.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of ozone elements
comprise a plurality of inner electrodes and a plurality of outer
electrodes and a mass ratio from a mass of all components of the
inner electrodes divided by a mass of all components making up the
outer electrodes is about 0.22 to about 0.25.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the housing comprises a
conductive metal pipe.
10. An apparatus for increasing the efficiency of combustion
comprising: a housing adapted to be disposed between an air intake
and a combustion chamber to supply air to the combustion chamber; a
plurality of adjacent cylindrical ozone elements arranged in the
housing for creating ozone, where the plurality of ozone elements
are arranged in a cross pattern, wherein the cross pattern divides
the housing into four quadrants, and wherein a set of ozone
elements from the plurality of ozone elements is disposed in each
quadrant attached to a plurality of bonding bars that electrically
connect the set of ozone elements.
11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the ozone elements each
comprise: a cylindrically shaped outer electrode of conductive
material perforated with a pattern of holes; a cylindrically shaped
inner electrode of conductive material disposed inside the outer
electrode; a cylindrically shaped insulator between the inner and
outer electrodes; and an insulating end cap between the insulator
and outer electrode on each end of the insulator to form a space
between the inner and outer electrode.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein a mass ratio of the inner
electrode and the outer electrode is about 0.25.
13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein a mass ratio determined from
a mass of the inner electrodes for each of the plurality of ozone
elements divided by a mass of the outer electrodes for each of the
plurality of ozone elements plus a mass of bonding bars is about
0.23.
14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein a mass ratio determined from
a mass of the inner electrodes for each of the plurality of ozone
elements divided by a mass of the outer electrodes for each of the
plurality of ozone elements plus a mass of bonding bars is about
0.22 to about 0.25.
15. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the outer electrode has an
outside diameter of about 0.437 and an inside diameter of about
0.375; the inner electrode has an outside diameter of about 0.148;
and the insulator has in inside diameter of about 0.156 and an
outside diameter of about 0.25 such that the space between the
inner and outer electrode is about 0.0625 (all in inches).
16. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising a vortex scrubber
comprising a plurality of fins with a pattern of holes disposed in
the housing to produce a vortex motion of air moving through the
housing.
17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the fins of the vortex
scrubber comprises a plurality of double fins that are formed of
sheet metal bent into a "V" shape with a bend between two fin
portions, where the bend gives an offset to the two fin portions to
form a propeller shape to the double fins.
18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the plurality of double fins
are attached to a ring placed inside the housing, where the
plurality of double fins are attached to the ring such that a
bottom of the "V" shape is near a center of the ring.
19. An apparatus for increasing the efficiency of combustion
comprising: a housing adapted to be disposed between an air intake
and a combustion chamber to supply air to the combustion chamber; a
plurality of adjacent cylindrical ozone elements arranged in the
housing for creating ozone, where the plurality of ozone elements
are arranged in a cross pattern, wherein the cross pattern divides
the housing into four quadrants, wherein a set of ozone elements
from the plurality of ozone elements is disposed in each quadrant
attached to a plurality of bonding bars that electrically connect
the set of ozone elements; wherein the ozone elements each
comprise: a cylindrically shaped outer electrode of conductive
material perforated with a pattern of holes; a cylindrically shaped
inner electrode of conductive material disposed inside the outer
electrode; a cylindrically shaped insulator between the inner and
outer electrodes; and an insulating end cap between the insulator
and outer electrode on each end of the insulator to form a space
between the inner and outer electrode; and a plurality of double
fins that are formed of sheet metal bent into a "V" shape with a
bend between two fin portions, where the bend gives an offset to
the two fin portions to form a propeller shape to the double fins.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO PARENT APPLICATIONS
[0001] This patent application is a continuation-in-part of U.S.
Ser. No. 11/972,801, filed Jan. 11, 2008 which is a
continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 11/182,546 filed Jul. 15,
2005 by the same inventor and having the same title, and which are
incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] 1. Technical Field
[0003] The disclosure and claims herein generally relates to
combustion processes, and more specifically relates to an apparatus
for improving the efficiency and emissions of a combustion process
such as an internal combustion engine.
[0004] 2. Background Art
[0005] It has been observed that automobiles run better after a
thunderstorm. It is believed that this phenomenon is primarily
caused by the natural conditions that exist after an electrical
storm, namely, the presence of ozone and an increase in the
relative amount of negative ions in the air. These conditions
increase the efficiency of the internal combustion process by
increasing the density of the air charge or the quantity of air
supplied to the cylinder during a single cycle and increasing the
ozone which contains more oxygen than diatomic oxygen. The
combination of a denser air charge and more oxygen increases the
cylinder pressure, which increases the engine torque and horsepower
output. By increasing the engine's ability to do work, less fuel is
used to perform the same work as an engine in a normal
situation.
[0006] The conditions observed after a thunderstorm last for only a
short period of time because the concentration of ozone following a
thunderstorm is very small (about 1 part per billion (ppb)), and
the relative imbalance of negative ions quickly reverts back to the
usual positive/negative ion ratio at the earth's surface. For a
short time after a thunderstorm, however, engines run more
efficiently and use less gasoline.
[0007] Introduction of ozone into a combustion chamber like the
conditions after a thunderstorm have been attempted to increase the
efficiency of the combustion by increasing the amount of oxygen
into the combustion for a given volume of air. Devices to add ozone
gas and charged ions to a combustion chamber in an internal
combustion engine have been described in the prior art. For
example, in U.S. Pat. No. 1,982,484 issued to Runge, a distributor
of an internal combustion engine is utilized to produce ozone gas
which is then added to the combustion mixture flowing through an
intake manifold of the engine. U.S. Pat. No. 4,308,844 to Persinger
also describes improving the efficiency in an internal combustion
engine by providing an ozone generator cell in the air supply to an
engine. The ozone generator cell is a single tubular anode inside a
tubular cathode that ionizes a relatively small volume of air to
the engine.
[0008] FIG. 1 shows a prior art ozone generator used to enhance the
efficiency of combustion. In FIG. 1, an ozone cell 110 is suitably
disposed between the air intake 120 and a combustion chamber 130 to
produce ozone and induce a charge in the air supply. In some prior
art ozone generators, the ozone cell incorporates a single flat
plate for the cathode and a single flat plate for the anode, and in
others, the ozone cell is a single tubular anode and a single
tubular cathode. The tubular cells were also shown to be placed
with other tubular cells in series. An electric source is applied
between the anode and cathode of the ozone cells. The electric
source on the anode and cathode creates an electric field that
splits oxygen molecules in the ambient air, leaving two single,
highly active atoms of oxygen that combine with other oxygen to
produce ozone (O.sub.3). Ozone provides 50% more oxygen in its
molecule, thereby providing faster and complete combustion, thereby
providing more power to an engine.
[0009] While the foregoing devices to some extent may have
accomplished their intended objectives, there is still a need to
provide further improvement to the efficiency of an internal
combustion engine. In particular, the prior art devices have not
produced a sufficient volume of ozone (O.sub.3) to be effective.
Without a way to improve combustion, the industry will continue to
suffer from inefficiency and poor engine performance.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0010] An apparatus is described to improve efficiency and
emissions of a combustion process by producing sufficient amounts
of ozone in the air flow to the combustion chamber to enable more
complete and cleaner combustion of the fuel. A plurality of ozone
elements for producing ozone are disposed within a housing that is
placed in the air intake to a combustion chamber such as a diesel
engine. The ozone elements are bonded together in a cross-shaped
pattern inside the housing. The apparatus includes one or more
vortex scrubbers or vanes in the housing to cause the air flow to
have a vortex action to increase the amount of ozone that flows
into the combustion chamber. The vortex scrubbers comprise multiple
double fins that are attached inside the housing. The vortex
scrubbers include holes and/or serrated edges to increase the
disturbance of the air flow over the ozone elements to increase
ozone production. The mass of the ozone elements have a preferred
ratio of about 0.24 to about 0.26.
[0011] The foregoing and other features and advantages of the
invention will be apparent from the following more particular
description and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0012] The disclosure will be described in conjunction with the
appended drawings, where like designations denote like elements,
and:
[0013] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an apparatus in accordance with
the prior art for providing ozone to a combustion chamber;
[0014] FIG. 2 is system view of an apparatus for providing ozone to
a combustion chamber;
[0015] FIG. 3 is the ozone cell 210 shown in FIG. 2 for providing
ozone to a combustion chamber;
[0016] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an electrical drive
circuit;
[0017] FIG. 5 is a vortex scrubber apparatus with holes for added
air turbulence;
[0018] FIG. 6 is another vortex scrubber element;
[0019] FIG. 7 is a vortex scrubber element with serrated edges;
[0020] FIG. 8 is an end view of an ozone cell with vortex scrubbers
installed as shown in FIG. 6;
[0021] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional front view of an example ozone
element;
[0022] FIG. 10 is a front view of the ozone element shown in FIG. 9
with added insulation caps;
[0023] FIG. 11 is a front view of the ozone element shown in FIG.
10 with an outer electrode;
[0024] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional end view of the ozone cell
shown in FIG. 11;
[0025] FIG. 13 is a view of four ozone elements that shows
electrical bonding bars that connect the ozone elements; and
[0026] FIG. 14 is an end view of an open ozone cell having ozone
elements as described in FIGS. 9 through 13.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0027] The description and claims herein are directed to an
apparatus to improve the efficiency and emissions of a combustion
process by producing sufficient amounts of ozone in the air flow to
the combustion chamber to provide more complete and cleaner
combustion of the fuel. In a preferred implementation, a plurality
of ozone elements are disposed within a housing that is in placed
in the air intake to a combustion chamber such as a diesel engine.
The cell elements create an electrical plasma field that produces
ozone.
[0028] FIG. 2 shows an ozone cell 210 used to enhance the
efficiency of combustion as described herein. The primary internal
components are visible for illustration to match the description in
FIG. 3. In FIG. 2, an ozone cell 210 is suitably disposed between
an air intake 220 and a combustion chamber 230 to produce ozone and
induce a charge in the air supply of a combustion process.
Alternatively, the ozone cell is incorporated into the air intake
pipe of an existing engine setup. The combustion process may be an
internal combustion engine such as a diesel truck engine or a
gasoline combustion engine such as used in automobiles.
Alternatively, the combustion processes could also be combustion
processes such as those used for electric power generation,
furnaces, water heaters, or virtually any other combustion
process.
[0029] Again referring to FIG. 2, the ozone cell 210 is connected
in the supply line 240 from the air intake 220 and connected to the
combustion chamber 230 with a supply line 250. The ozone cell can
be mounted in any suitable configuration and could be located at a
convenient position which allows the gaseous output to be
transmitted to the combustion chamber 230 by a supply line 250. The
ozone cell 210 is energized by an electrical drive circuit 260,
which is described further below with reference to FIG. 4. The
electrical drive circuit 260 creates an electrical field that
creates a plasma field for producing ozone between and around the
ozone elements described below.
[0030] FIG. 3 shows an external view of the ozone cell 210 with the
primary internal components also visible in phantom. In this
implementation, the ozone cell 210 includes a housing 310 that may
comprise a conductive pipe such as stainless steel or a
non-conductive pipe of PVC or similar material. The central housing
310 is preferably capable of carrying ozone gas and charged air
without excessive deterioration. The housing 310 has in input end
312 and an output end 314. The housing 310 may be larger in
diameter (not shown) than the supply lines 240, 250 (FIG. 2) so
that the addition of ozone elements 316 will not significantly
restrict air flow through the ozone cell 210. In one specific
configuration, the ozone cell 210 includes an arrangement of
multiple ozone elements 316 within the housing. The arrangement of
the ozone elements within the housing is described further below in
conjunction with FIG. 14. In the illustrated example, the ozone
elements are cylindrical in shape and run parallel to the length of
the housing. The overall length of the ozone elements can vary
depending on the application. FIG. 3 further illustrates the
location of vortex scrubbers 320 that provide air turbulence
disposed in each end of the housing. Further detail of the vortex
scrubbers is shown in FIGS. 5 through 8 and described in the
related text below.
[0031] FIG. 4 illustrates details of the electrical drive circuit
260 introduced in the discussion of FIG. 2. The electrical drive
circuit 260 for the ozone cells includes a battery such as a
standard rechargeable twelve volt lead-acid battery of the type
usually associated with internal combustion engines. In automotive
applications the battery can be the same as the one equipped on the
vehicle since the current draw of the drive circuit 260 is minimal.
The current from the battery 410 is connected through a switch 420
to an inverter 430 which converts the electrical output of the
battery 1410 to an AC voltage. The output of the inverter 430 is
connected to a transformer 440. A suitable transformer for use in
connection with the present invention is described further below.
The secondary winding of the transformer 440 is connected to the
ozone elements 316 as described above. The secondary winding
voltage is preferably from about 6,000 volts to about 12,000 volts
AC. The most preferred is a voltage of about 7,000-8,500 volts AC.
The preferred frequency is about 60 to 1000 Hz, with the most
preferred frequency about 60 Hz. Preferably, the transformer is an
oil filled, iron core transformer with copper wrap coils, that has
the following electrical characteristics: [0032] Input: 120 vac/60
hz [0033] output: 7-8.5 kvac/27 ma [0034] Max Pri Va 260 [0035] Max
Pri Watts 125 [0036] Open Sec KvRMS 7-8.5 [0037] Short Sec Ma
27
[0038] FIG. 5 illustrates a vortex scrubber 320 as viewed from the
end of the ozone cell 210. In this example, the vortex scrubber 320
comprises six fins 510 equally spaced in the housing 310. The fins
510 are bent to have a propeller like shape to disturb the air flow
and cause the air to have turbulence. A vortex scrubber 320 as
shown in FIG. 5 is disposed from the center of the housing to the
inner edges of the housing. A vortex scrubber may be placed on each
end of the housing 310 (FIG. 3), with a first vortex scrubber in
the intake end 312 of the housing 310 and the second in the output
end 314 of the housing 310. Alternatively, the two vortex scrubbers
may be on either end of the housing 210. The fins 510 alternatively
include a pattern of holes 512 to increase the air turbulence. The
air turbulence increases the exchange of fresh air at the surface
of the ozone cell with the ozone containing air to increase the
available ozone exiting the ozone cell 210 (FIG. 2).
[0039] FIGS. 6-8 illustrate another example of a vortex scrubber
320. In this example, the vortex scrubber comprises multiple double
fins that are attached inside the housing. FIG. 6 illustrates a
double fin 600 before it is bent into shape and placed in the
vortex scrubber. The double fin 600 is preferably made of single
piece of sheet metal that is shaped as shown in FIG. 6 and then
bent as described below. The double fin 600 has a butterfly shape
with a narrow portion 610 and a wider portion 612. The double fin
600 may have a pattern of holes 512 to increase air turbulence as
described above. The edges of the wider portion 612 of the double
fin may include a serrated edge 710 to increase air turbulence as
shown in FIG. 7. The double fins 610 are bent to have a propeller
like shape to disturb the air flow and cause the air to have
turbulence. The double fins are preferably bent at the narrow
portion 610 along the line 614 into a "V" like shape. Bending the
double fin along the line 614 makes an offset in the two wider
portions that creates a propeller like shape to the double fin.
Several double fins bent into this shape are placed in the housing
as shown in FIG. 8. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the ends of
three vortex double fins are mounted to a ring 810 such that the
bottom of the "V" shape is near the center of the ring. The ring
810 is then mounted in the housing as shown in FIG. 8 to create a
vortex scrubber 320. Alternatively, the double fins could be
mounted directly to the inner side of the housing. The double fins
600 in the vortex scrubber 320 may also incorporate the pattern of
holes 512 and serrated edges (not shown) as described above.
[0040] FIGS. 9-12 illustrate the different components of an ozone
element 316 as introduced in FIG. 3. The ozone element 316
basically comprises two conductive electrodes separated by an
insulator. FIG. 9 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a
cylindrically shaped inner electrode 910 surrounded by a
cylindrically shaped insulator 912. The inner electrode 910 may be
a solid metal electrode, or it can be hollow, made of an open pipe
as illustrated in FIG. 9. The inner electrode 910 accepts an
electrical conductor 914 that is inserted into the center of the
electrode 910. The end 916 of the electrical conductor extending
into the inner electrode 910 is un-insulated, while the remaining
portion of the electrical conductor may be insulated. The
electrical conductor 914 is electrically and mechanically connected
to the inner electrode 910 in a suitable manner, such as soldering
or crimping the inner electrode. As shown in FIG. 9, the electrical
conductor 914 may extend substantially through the electrode 912,
but may extend a lesser amount. The inner electrode is preferably
made of stainless steel pipe that is inserted in the insulator 912.
The insulator is preferably a ceramic material such as glazed or
unglazed porcelain. Other insulators could also be used such as
polyethylene, PVC or other insulators as used in the prior art.
[0041] FIG. 10 illustrates a front view of the ozone element 316
introduced in FIG. 9. FIG. 10 illustrates the addition of insulator
caps 1010 over the insulator 912. The insulator caps 1010 are
disposed at the ends of the ozone element 316. The insulator caps
1010 cover a portion of each end of the ozone element 316 and may
extend beyond the end of the ozone element. The insulator caps 1010
provide several functions. First, they prevent arching between the
inner electrode 910 and the outer electrode (described below) at
the ends of the ozone elements. Second, the insulator caps provide
a structural element between the insulator 912 and outer electrode.
And third, the insulator caps seal the ends of the outer electrode
to prevent axial air flow between the outer electrode and the
insulator 912. The ends 1012 of the insulator caps 1010 are sealed
to cover the ozone element 316. The ends may be sealed in a
suitable manner such as using a dielectric compound to fill the
insulator caps, using a cup shaped insulator cap, or by using
shrinkable tubing for the insulator caps.
[0042] FIG. 11 illustrates a front view of the ozone element 316
introduced in FIG. 9 with the addition of a cylindrically shaped
outer electrode 1110. The outer electrode 1110 fits over the
insulator caps 1010 and may be held in place by a tight fit of the
outer electrode pressed over the insulator caps 1610. The outer
electrode 1110 is a conductive metal, and in this example is
stainless steel. Further, the outer electrode is preferably
perforated with a pattern of openings 1112 through the outer
electrode. The openings provide an open space on the surface of the
outer electrode of about 45 to 50 percent. The openings in the
outer electrode expose a cavity or space 1114 between the outer
electrode and the insulator 912 that is created by thickness of the
insulator caps 1010 that provide spacing between the insulator and
the outer electrode. While the space 1114 allows air to circulate
between the outer electrode and the insulator, air does not flow
axially through the space where the ends of the ozone element are
sealed by the insulator caps 1010. Air movement in the space 1114
is a turbulent air flow through the openings 1112 in the outer
electrode 1110 meaning only that air that enters through the
openings 1110 exits through the openings 1110.
[0043] FIG. 12 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an ozone
element 316 shown in FIG. 11 taken along the line 12-12. The ozone
element 316 includes the exposed end of an electrical conductor 916
connected to an inner electrode 910. The inner electrode 910 is
surrounded by an insulator 912. The insulator 912 is surrounded on
the ends by insulator caps 1010. Alternatively, if the cross
section for this Figure were to be taken in the middle section,
then the insulator 910 would be surrounded by space 1114. The
insulator caps 1010 (or space 1114) are surrounded by the outer
electrode 1110. The inner electrode 910 preferably has an outer
diameter of about 0.148 inches to provide a close fit to slide the
inner electrode 910 inside the insulator 912 that has an inner
diameter of about 0.156 inches. The insulator 912 is preferably a
ceramic porcelain tube with an outer diameter of 0.250 giving the
insulator 912 a wall thickness of about 0.047 inches. The outer
electrode 1110 is preferably has an inner diameter of about 0.375
inches and an outer diameter of about 0.437 inches. This makes the
space 1114 about 0.0625 inches that is provided by the thickness of
the insulator caps 1010 as described above. The length of the ozone
elements 316 may vary depending on the application. In the
illustrated example, the length is preferably about 11 inches.
[0044] The relative mass of the components comprising the ozone
element 316 was found to be a factor in the performance of the
ozone elements. In the illustrated embodiments, the mass of the
different components of the ozone elements and the ratio of the
component masses are preferably as shown in table 1 below. The mass
ratio of the electrodes is the mass of the inner electrodes divided
by the mass of the outer electrodes. The mass ratio of the
electrodes only is the same regardless of the number of electrodes.
Thus in the described example, the mass ratio of the electrodes is
8.5/34.6=0.25. The mass ratio for all the components of the
electrodes includes the mass of the electrical conductors added
with the inner electrodes and the mass of the bonding bars
(described below) included with the outer electrodes. With 12
electrodes, the mass ratio for the total electrode components is
calculated as shown in Table 1. The preferred mass ratio for the
electrodes is about 0.24 to 0.26 and the preferred mass ratio for
the electrode components is about 0.22 to about 0.25.
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Mass Ratios of Ozone Element Components
Single Electrode Total of Components Inner Electrode 8.5 Inner
Electrodes + Electrical Conductors (grams) 12(8.5 + 0.5) = 108.0
Outer Electrode 34.6 Outer Electrodes + Bonding Bars (grams)
12(34.6) + 2(24.4) = 464.0 Mass Ratio 0.25 Total Mass Ratio
0.23
[0045] FIG. 13 illustrates a front view of four ozone producing
ozone elements 316 described above with reference to FIGS. 9
through 12. FIG. 13 shows that the electrical conductors 916
connected to the inner electrodes of the ozone elements 316 can be
combined together to make an electrical connection 1310 to the
electrical circuit described above. The electrical connection 1310
may be made inside the housing or outside the housing (not shown).
FIG. 13 further shows bonding bars 1312 that electrically and
mechanically connect the ozone elements 316. In FIG. 13, the
bonding bars 1312 are shown to connect four ozone elements 316. In
a similar manner, the bonding bars may connect a number of ozone
elements arranged in an ozone cell as described herein. The bonding
bars are preferably constructed of an electrically conductive metal
that is welded, soldered or brazed to the outer electrodes 1110 of
the ozone elements 316. An electrical connection to the bonding
bars and to the outer electrodes may then be accomplished as
described below with reference to FIG. 14. In this example, there
are two bonding bars 1312 spaced along the ozone elements 316.
[0046] FIG. 14 illustrates an end view of an open ozone cell 210
having ozone elements 316 as described in FIGS. 9 through 12. (The
vortex scrubbers that would normally be visible inside the cell are
not shown.) The ozone cell 210 has multiple ozone elements 316
arranged in a cross pattern inside the ozone cell housing 310. The
ozone elements 316 in sets of four are bonded together as shown in
FIG. 13. A set of 4 ozone elements is placed in each quadrant of
the cell that is formed by the cross pattern. The bonding bars 1312
suspend the ozone elements 316 within the ozone cell 210. The
bonding bars 1312 are preferably made of a sheet of metal formed
into a cross pattern. The bonding bars 1312 are used to attached
the ozone elements together in a spaced arrangement inside the
ozone cell 210. The bonding bars 1312 preferably include means to
attach the ozone elements into the housing 310. In the example
illustrated in FIG. 14, the bonding bars 1312 include end tabs 1412
that connect to the ozone cell housing 310. The four sets of four
ozone elements connected to the bonding bars in the illustrated
example are attached into a single cross shaped unit. Two welding
members 1414 are used to weld the ozone elements together as
shown.
[0047] Again referring to FIG. 14, the ozone cell housing 310 in
this example is a conductive metal housing. The bonding bars 1312
and the end tabs 1412 provide electrical connection between the
outer electrode of the ozone elements 316 and the ozone cell
housing 310. The ozone cell housing 310 is then connected to the
electrical circuit described with reference to FIG. 14 through an
electrical connection 1416. In this example, the electrical
connection 1416 is a wire 1418 bolted to the ozone cell housing
310. The electrical connection 1414 may be through a chassis ground
connection where the ozone cell housing is directly connected to
chassis ground (now shown) instead of through a wire as shown. As
described above, the inner electrodes of the ozone elements are
also connected to the electrical circuit (described above). For
simplicity, only a single electrical connection to the inner
electrode of an ozone element is shown in FIG. 14. A conductive
wire 916 connects to an ozone element 316 in the manner described
above. The conductive wire 916 passes through the cell housing 310
through a grommet 1420 that seals and insulates the wire from the
housing 310. The connections to the other ozone elements 316 are
made in a similar manner and preferably are connected together (not
shown) before passing outside the cell housing.
[0048] The disclosure and claims herein are directed to an
apparatus that provides significant improvements over the prior
art. An apparatus and method was described that increases
combustion efficiency and performance and lowers emissions of
virtually any combustion process. An ozone cell as described herein
provides improved efficiency and performance and lower emissions in
an internal combustion engine such as a diesel truck engine.
[0049] One skilled in the art will appreciate that many variations
are possible within the scope of the claims. Thus, while the
disclosure has been particularly shown and described above, it will
be understood by those skilled in the art that these and other
changes in form and details may be made therein without departing
from the spirit and scope of the claims.
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